Month: October 2013

Join the Green Seattle Partnership to celebrate and restore Seattle’s beautiful forested parks for the 8th annual Green Seattle Day on Saturday, November 2nd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm!

Green Seattle Day is a meaningful way to connect with nature and create a healthy and vibrant community by planting native trees and shrubs in a park near you. The event takes place in 17 parks city-wide. Seattle’s own West Duwamish Greenbelt is this year’s central hub site, which will be hosted by Nature Consortium and Forterra.

The Green Seattle Partnership is a collaboration between the City of Seattle, non-profit partners, and thousands of committed volunteers that seek to create a sustainable network of healthy forested parklands by removing invasive species and replanting with native shrubs and trees. Without a coordinated effort, Seattle is at risk of losing 70% of its forests in just 20 years.

Green Seattle Day is a celebration of Seattle’s 2500 acres of forested parks, the committed neighbors who care for them, and the kick-off event for the 2012-2013 restoration planting season. The city supplies all tools and supplies. So, grab a water bottle, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to have fun in the forest!

In November, King County will transplant 24 trees within the Barton CSO Control project area to make room for the future bioretention swales (swales). This project will install swales on 15 blocks in the Sunrise Heights and Westwood neighborhoods to capture stormwater runoff and reduce combined sewer overflows into Puget Sound during heavy rains.

Staff will be in the neighborhood posting fliers on trees that will be transplanted. Fliers will indicate the location for transplant. Trees marked with pink ribbons will be transplanted to another location in the public right of way, and trees marked with orange ribbons will be delivered to homeowners. Earlier this year, King County notified project area residents of the opportunity to give these trees a home, and we will be in touch with individuals receiving trees to confirm their interest. Trees delivered to homeowners will be replanted by the homeowner, and it is expected that these trees will be planted on their property. Relocation will occur on or after November 6.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is undertaking a project to revegetate damaged areas in the Schmitz Preserve stream corridor. Activities will include planting native plants, erosion control and fencing off redundant foot trails that crisscross Schmitz Creek. The project will help conserve one of Seattle’s rare old growth forests while supporting the overall environmental stewardship goals of the urban forest system. Schmitz Preserve Park is located in West Seattle at 5551 SW Admiral Way.

Friends of Schmitz Preserve, a group of dedicated community members, are key partners in this preservation and restoration project in the park. These stewards host volunteer events every 1st Sunday of the month, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The community is encouraged to participate. For more information please visit www.schmitzpreserve.org or meet at Schmitz Park Elementary at 1:00 pm. this Sunday, October 5. These monthly work parties are essential for the health and longevity of this important public asset.

Seattle is at risk of losing 70% of Seattle’s forested parks in just 20 years. Together, Seattle Parks and volunteers have been working to reverse that trend. Seattle’s forested parkland covers nearly six percent of the Seattle’s metropolitan area and comprises 20% of the Seattle’s overall urban forest canopy. The forest plays an important role in protecting air and water quality. The Green Seattle Partnership is a one of the largest public-private forest urban restoration programs in the United States.

Join Sustainable West Seattle for an evening exploring A Vision for the Duwamish River – Community, Restoration and Conservation at C & P Coffee on October 21st from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

The Duwamish is Seattle’s only river and the five-mile stretch running through Seattle is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a federal Superfund site. The Duwamish is one of the most contaminated rivers in the country from years of industrial pollution as well as wastewater and storm-water run-off. Efforts are underway by many groups and agencies to clean up the river and restore the river ecosystem.

Learn about the community’s vision for the restoration of the Duwamish River. Food and beverages are available at C & P Coffee, 5612 California Ave SW, and SWS will provide some healthy snacks for the evening.

About Sustainable West Seattle:

Sustainable West Seattle educates and advocates for urban sustainability in our local community. SWS envisions a West Seattle community of empowered citizens who actively lead toward greater self-reliance, local democracy, social justice, and existence in harmony with life on earth. SWS meets the 3rd Monday each month at 7:00 pm. See the SWS website for meeting location.

Sustainable West Seattle projects:

West Seattle Tool Library is a community-led project to provide pay-what-you-can community access to a wide range of tools, training, and relevant advice. By providing this service, the West Seattle Tool Library aims to inspire its community to participate in community projects, such as park restorations, and pursue sustainability through fun projects like backyard gardens, home energy improvements, and water harvesting.

Tox-Ick is an outreach and education effort born out of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Sustainable West Seattle. The objective of the program is to help educate a critical mass of Puget Sound residents about the problem of polluted runoff and the simple actions individuals can engage in to stop it. Online resources are available in the fight against the Tox-Ick Monster.

Community Orchard of West Seattle (COWS) provides a home-scale model that demonstrates how much food can be grown on a city-sized lot. Our produce goes to our volunteers, neighbors and local food security programs while we provide a venue for public agricultural education and community gathering.

West Seattle Spokespeople facilitates a transition from car to bike and is allied with Spokespeople U.S. Our goal is to make West Seattle a more bike-able community through education, group rides and assisting riders in developing their skills.